Bristol Commercial Vehicles
Enthusiasts

....and Doctor Who's favourite bus is.....

...an ex-Alder Valley Bristol VR of course!!
Could this be the most famous ECW rear dome ever? I have
known for a little while that two Bristol VRs were to star in the Easter Special
episode of Doctor Who but was sworn to secrecy by my contact. However, last
Friday the above photo was published as the headline item on the BBC's
Doctor Who website and shows
David Tennant alongside Michelle Ryan at the rear of the top deck of
HJB455W. I know it is this one because the other one
(RUA461W) has been shipped to
Dubai for filming in a
"different" environment. Sadly RUA was extensively damaged in transit (a 30' container was dropped on it) and
it will be a write-off after temporary repairs are effected for filming. HJB
remains in Wales for filming in more "normal" conditions.
Latest news from Peter Newman is that a third VR (GGM
84W) has been supplied to replace RUA and is believed to be on its way out
to Dubai, which means there will be an Alder Valley VR at both ends of the
filming! In addition a photo has come to light of the damage to RUA and it is
very serious! There has been lots of media coverage of "the double
decker wrecker", including:

The two VRs remaining in the UK have turned up in Wales
and the BBC are looking to sell them either for scrap or to a preservationist.
GGM84W never made it to Dubai and is instead confirmed as the one damaged on purpose as the studio "double" for
RUA461W, whilst HJB455W appears largely intact. Where will they turn up next?

Well, the answer arrived on
February 16th 2010 when I was contacted by James Denny of Worlingham, Suffolk to
say that he had just bought both GGM84W and HJB455W. GGM is of course for spares
use to return HJB to working order. James is a big Doctor Who fan, not to
mention the two VRs he already owned (NAH135P and GNG710N) so this is a match
made in heaven!

I never dreamed that
two of my passions (Doctor Who and Bristol VRs) would ever co-incide quite so
spectacularly!! Rob Sly,
January 23rd 2009, updated January 31st 2009, updated November 11th 2009, updated February 16th 2010